The Academy’s Hard-Headed Swordmaster

‘Beeeep—!’

At the instructor’s whistle, the students switched sparring partners.

Two weeks had passed since the start of the Academy term.

By now, everyone had more or less memorized each other’s names and characteristics.

Standing before me was Liber, whose reputation had been soaring lately.

“Let’s have a good match.”

“Oh, you too.”

His eyes were slightly bloodshot. It felt like more than just a lack of sleep.

He’d been sneaking out of the Academy every day recently.

Probably obsessed with some prostitute.

Well, it’s hard for a guy his age to resist the allure of women once he’s had a taste.

‘Let’s see what you’ve got.’

I’d been hearing about Liber’s improved skills for days, but I hadn’t had a chance to cross swords with him directly.

Many students had been eager to spar with him to test his newfound strength, and the sparring schedule just hadn’t worked in our favor.

Finally, after all these days, I had the opportunity to experience his growth firsthand.

‘Just a few days ago, he couldn’t even handle Aura…’

Keeping that in mind, I swung my wooden sword moderately. Just about like this.

‘Whiiiish—’

‘Thwack—!’

Liber blocked my swing with surprising ease.

Considering his skill level just a few days prior, it was unbelievable.

After a few more exchanges, I could sense the Aura flowing smoothly through his body.

‘He actually learned to use Aura?’

Using Aura during sparring was prohibited, but Aura passively strengthens the user’s body even when not actively channeled.

The strength of this passive enhancement increases with the level and depth of the Aura.

As an Aura Master, this reinforcement extends even to areas that Aura Users and Experts struggle to strengthen.

In other words, things like dynamic vision and reaction time get a crazy boost.

“’Huff, huff—!’”

Having gauged his skills, I began to wield my wooden sword with increasing sharpness.

Brute force doesn’t make a sword stronger.

Timing and precision are key. Just as a knight’s precisely aimed thrust is deadlier than an Orc or Ogre’s wild swings, the most important aspect of swordsmanship is exploiting the enemy’s openings.

“Opening.”

“Huh—?”

Hearing my word, Liber flinched, instinctively searching for a weakness in his stance.

But the truth was, until that moment, there hadn’t been one.

I exploited the opening created by my own words.

My wooden sword struck his vital point.

Liber groaned in pain, but looked up at me with an incredulous expression.

Lowering my sword, I shrugged as if to ask, “What are you going to do about it?”

“’Ugh…’ You bastard… You set me up…”

“You fell for it.”

If some random thug on the street, or someone clearly inferior in skill, had said that, Liber wouldn’t have reacted.

But facing me, already on edge, he hesitated at my word, and ultimately, it cost him.

“Don’t lose your focus, no matter who your opponent is. If you don’t fix that, you’ll pay for it later.”

“Ha, haha. Thanks a lot.”

“Don’t mention it.”

By the time Liber recovered from the pain, the instructor blew the whistle.

I greeted Liber and moved to the next spot, preparing to spar with another student.

‘Still…’

How did that guy Liber get so strong?

Wasn’t he supposed to be an extra?

***

One might think Academy students endure tedious training and classes all week long, but that’s not the case.

Surprisingly, even this world has weekends.

Two days a week. Saturday and Sunday.

While most students spent this time socializing, I usually enjoyed dates with Yuri.

Today would have been no different, but things didn’t go as planned.

“Keeping a lady waiting this long? You’re such a heartbreaker.”

At the Academy’s main gate, someone was interfering with my date with Yuri. Aria.

First year in the Department of Arts.

And the student who’d been flirting with me on the day of the entrance ceremony.

My expression hardened slightly as I looked at Aria.

“What’s a heartbreaker?”

“…It means a popular guy like you.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

Aria nodded in agreement.

Praise makes even whales twerk, as they say.

I grinned at her compliment, and Yuri frowned slightly at the sight.

Aura Masters are sensitive to the emotions of others.

Instinctively sensing Yuri’s displeasure, I moved to her side, linked arms, and started walking away from the Academy.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Aria stared blankly after us for a moment before quickly catching up.

Perhaps mindful of Yuri, she didn’t cling to my arm, but the fact that I was walking with a girl on each side drew plenty of attention.

Basking in the envious stares, I led the two to the best dessert shop I’d scouted—the tastiest and with the best atmosphere.

In front of the dessert shop, Yuri tilted her head at the empty storefront.

“Kyle, what is this place?”

“I prepared it for today.”

As I said that and entered the shop, the owner hurried out and bowed deeply.

We were the only customers today. Naturally. I’d rented out the entire place.

‘My allowance is completely drained.’

Even for me, the sole recipient of the Count’s generous allowance as his only son and heir, it was a hefty price. But it was necessary to indulge in dates like this occasionally.

The reason I rented the whole place instead of just making a reservation? I just wanted to show off.

That’s what men are like.

“Eat whatever you want. As much as you want.”

“What do you want, Kyle?”

“Me? I’ll have the coffee cake.”

“Then I’ll have the strawberry shortcake.”

“Ooh, I want the carrot cake!”

After taking our orders, the owner immediately prepared our cakes and tea.

Since there were no other customers, our desserts arrived quickly.

The owner set everything down, left a small bell on the counter, and disappeared into the back of the shop.

Now, the place truly belonged to the three of us.

I sipped my tea, watching the people passing by outside, then turned to Yuri, who was silent.

She was quietly nibbling at her cake, and met my gaze when she felt my eyes on her.

“…What?”

“You’re enjoying that.”

“Yeah.”

As I watched her continue to eat, I became curious about one thing.

That strawberry she hadn’t touched yet.

Would she give it to me if I asked?

“Yuri.”

“Yeah?”

“I want that strawberry.”

Yuri tilted her head, puzzled, then pointed to the display counter.

“There are plenty over there.”

“I want that one.”

“Weirdo.”

Yuri carefully picked up the strawberry she’d deliberately left on her cake and offered it to me.

I was slightly touched. I hadn’t actually expected her to give it to me…

I took a small bite from the tip of the strawberry and offered it back to her.

Yuri ate the rest of it with relish.

“Wow… Watching couples flirt is so annoying.”

Aria, witnessing this exchange, let out a dry laugh and criticized our behavior.

I chuckled at her reaction.

“If you’re unhappy, you can get a boyfriend too.”

“Should I? Kyle, what about you?”

“Sorry. I’m already engaged.”

I inwardly marveled at her boldness, hitting on me right in front of my fiancée.

Then, as if just remembering, Yuri looked at me after hearing Aria’s words.

“Kyle.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know someone named… Kim Sera?”

“…Who?”

I froze.

Kim Sera.

That was a name I never expected to hear in this world.

‘How…?’

Kim Sera was my childhood friend back on Earth. She was the one who recommended this world to me, the game ‘Dairus Academy’.

But of course, she was someone I could no longer meet. I had died and been reborn into this world.

Unless I died again and returned to Earth, she was someone I could never see again.

No, her name shouldn’t even exist here.

The fact that Yuri knew that name was incomprehensible.

‘Is it a coincidence?’

No, even a coincidence would be a problem.

Kim Sera, a Korean name, in this world where Western names were the norm?

Coincidence or not, there was something strange about this.

I was about to ask Yuri where she’d heard that name when a loud noise erupted from outside.

“Where did you…”

‘BOOM—!’

“…hear…”

‘BOOOOM—!’

“What’s all this noise—?”

‘KABOOM—!’

An explosion went off right next to the building.

I quickly shielded both Yuri and Aria with my body, reinforcing us with Aura.

They screamed and clung to me.

After the explosion subsided, I looked down at the two in my arms.

“Are you alright?”

“…Yes.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Once I confirmed they were okay, I cautiously stepped outside to see what had happened.

In the alleyway between buildings, explosions were going off.

The sounds of explosions continued to echo from somewhere.

“What the…”

A terrorist attack was happening within the Academy’s territory.

I racked my brain, trying to remember who was responsible for this.

“Hmm…”

—I forgot.